Coming In From the Rain
by Juu-chan101
Summary: Roxas had been confused. He'd run through frigid rain and ended up at HER house. [Namixas]


**Theme: **Rain

**Words: **hold, kiss, chaste, warm, trace

**JUU-CHAN SAYS, **...just ded I love this piece. I had "Why Don't You Kiss Her?" by Jesse McCartney on repeat the whole flipping time. I had the entire thing in mind when I started writing. That's probably why it zapped right onto the computer.

The wind was cold and bitter against his skin. He didn't know why he hadn't brought a jacket or an umbrella when it was so clearly rainy and cold.

Roxas didn't know much of anything, anymore. Thunder rumbled and lightning lit up the sky.

The ice-cold rain from above mercilessly soaked him and made him shiver. Roxas' black shirt and blue jeans were plastered to his skin. He continued onward, though, shoes squelching loudly with each step he took along the sidewalk. Nobody was outside and driving in this mess. Heck, Roxas would have been called crazy if anybody had cared to check up on him.

The cellphone in his pocket started buzzing and tuneless whistling belted out for all of Twilight Drive's empty, soaked green lawns to hear. He picked the cellphone out of his pocket.

_Sora_ glowed on the Caller ID screen. He flipped it open and pressed it to his ear as he continued walking.

"What?" Roxas was in no mood to be talking. He knew that Sora was only calling out of concern. Anybody would have if their cousin had just upped and left the house in the middle of an autumn thunderstorm without a word, jacket, or umbrella.

_"Roxas, where the heck are you?"_

"...I..I'm going somewhere, Sora, that's all," Roxas said, his voice soft. He futilely wiped rainwater off his face.

_"Mom's getting worried. Don't just leave like that, Roxas. Listen, I have to head out with Kairi soon. I'm going to fi--"_

Roxas snapped the cellphone shut with a growl and slipped it back into his pocket. Running a hand through his messy blonde hair, he started down the sidewalk again. This time he was running.

He didn't know where he was going.

He just wanted to get as far away from Destiny Street as possible.

So he ran, blindly. Eventually, he got to ignore the fact that he was so cold he was aching. He got to ignoring his loose pants plastered to his skin and the squelching of his shoes. He got to ignoring everything, even the frigid rain, thunder, and ligtning, and his mind was directing him sunconciously. Everything else was numb.

When he stopped, it was on someone's doorstep. The aching cold of his body came back full-force, he remembered that he was soaked, and he registered the simple white door in his memory. He was gasping for breath and leaning on his knees, the rain water dripping off of his eyelashes and hair. After a moment, he reached a hand for the doorbell. When his finger was just an inch away from the glowing button, the door swung open and he promptly found a white, fluffy towel over his head.

"Roxas," a familiar voice gasped, dragging him inside by the towel. Namine stared at him in shock. "What are you doing here? Why are you out in this mess? Oh, Gods, you must be freezing!" He was ushered into the kitchen and forced to sit in a chair. "Y-you stay put. I'll get you some dry clothes and I'll make some tea and--" Roxas put a hand to her lips, looking up at her with his sapphire eyes.

"Calm down," he said in a quiet voice.

"B-but Sora called and he said he didn't know where you were and you're here and--" Roxas shushed her. "Sorry." Namine took several deep breaths. "Okay, going to get those clothes now. You stay put."

"I'll still be here in three minutes," Roxas assured. Namine's reaction was really out of place. She must have been really scared. Well...Roxas looked at his soaked clothes and rubbed his arms for warmth. The closening rumble of thunder reminded him of how crazy he'd been to be walking in that mess. In almost exactly three minutes, Namine returned with a pair of her dad's jeans with a black shirt folded neatly on top.

"Won't these be a bit big...?" Roxas held the pants up to himself. Namine handed him a belt.

"Now go change," she said, shoving him along down the hall to the bathroom.

He didn't know wether to laugh or be annoyed. All of this seemed so subdued to him. Maybe the cold had made his brain sluggish. Roxas shrugged and changed clothes, thankful for the warmth the oversized articles provided. It was like she'd taken them and thrown them in the dryer to **warm** them up before giving them to him. Like...she'd been expecting him. Roxas shook his head. Namine wasn't psychic, she'd just had some spare time between Sora calling and him arriving. Banishing that thought from his brain, Roxas went back down to the kitchen where he knew Namine was going to be. She held a tray of cookies in one hand and carried two steaming mugs of hot chocolate in the other.

"Do you have all that?" Roxas went over to take a bit of the burden, but all Namine would let him take was his cup of hot chocolate. He followed her into the livingroom.

They both sat on the hearth rug right in front of a crackling fire. Namine sat cross-legged and held her cup in both hands. Roxas sat cross-legged too, but handled his cup with one hand and leaned back on the other. They sat there in silence, the plate of cookies between them.

"Why did you just walk out like that?" Namine looked Roxas right in the eye. He tried to look down, but her icy gaze held him captive. He was inclined to answer.

"I don't know. I just...something didn't feel right."

Namine stared at him skeptically. "I have a very hard time believing that, Roxas. As much as I would like to just dismiss it...I can't. You...you really scared everyone. Sora was freaking out," she said. Roxas picked up a cookie from the plate and bit into it so he had time to think of an answer.

"I'm being honest when I say 'I don't know why,' Namine," he said after he'd swallowed his mouthful of cookie. The pale blonde girl shook her head and turned her face to look at the fire. Roxas watched her closely. She didn't seem to mind or notice. Namine was really very pretty. She had pale blonde hair that fell over her right shoulder just so. Her skin was so smooth you wanted to touch her and make sure she was real. Her eyes were thickly-lashed, and a gorgeous, piercing shade of icy blue. She was a model of beauty, dressed in a white turtleneck and loose blue jeans.

She had been his closest friend for a while. Roxas had told her everything. There were no secrets between them. Lately, though, he'd been feeling so confused around Namine that they'd drifted apart. Now, sitting on the hearth rug in her house without her parents watching over them like hawks...

Roxas felt himself growing red in the cheeks.

Namine looked at him and smiled curiously. It was an expression that drove Roxas utterly mad and made his blushing all the brighter. For some reason, it was getting a little hard to breath.

His confusion all melted away with that look and was replaced by utter embarrassment and panic.

Then, suddenly, he seemed to go on auto-pilot. The half-emptied mug of hot chocolate was set aside and the tray of cookies was pushed out of the way. Roxas got on his knees and scooted in closer and closer until he bumped forheads with her. She stared into his sapphire eyes, genuinly confused.

"Roxas...?" She whispered.

What was he doing? Why this sudden urge-- need, even-- to be so close to Namine? He placed a hand on her cheek. Namine didn't flinch, but he saw a blush creeping up her cheeks. She searched his eyes curiously, trying to decipher his motive that even he wasn't too sure of at the moment. His breath caught in his throat and his hand slipped on the cloth rug.

Whether it was by total accident or on purpose, they kissed.

Roxas regained his center of balance at let his eyes slip shut. He seemed to wait forever for a reaction from Namine, who was probably startled. Embarrassed again, he pulled away, only to be stopped by Namine's fingers catching his chin. She stared at him, looking as if she wanted to say something. She sighed as if giving up on the words.

Namine gave Roxas a **chaste** **kiss**.

"No, wait," Roxas caught himself saying. As if speaking aloud might kill the atmosphere, he spoke in a husky whisper. Namine stopped, her face mere centimeters from his. All words disappeared again. The hand on Namine's cheek went to **trace** her jawline, the silky skin warm beneath his fingers. Roxas' sapphire eyes flicked over her face and went back to her eyes. "I...I..." The words faded. He settled for kissing her deeply; he felt his stomach flutter excitedly when she kissed back. His hand left her cheek to wrap around her shoulders and pull her close to him. Namine's arms went around his neck.

After what seemed like too short a time, the kiss was broken and they watched eachother. the only noise that could be heard was their breathing and the crackling fire. Namine smiled.

"Now, do you know why you left the house so suddenly?" Her voice was a soft whisper.

"Because..." Roxas leaned in to nip gently at her bottom lip, making her chuckle lightly. "...I needed to tell you."

"You haven't told me anything," she reminded him.

"After everything that just happened, you're gonna make me say it?" Roxas feigned a pout. Namine nodded. He took a deep breath and composed himself and brought his mouth right up to Namine's ear. Trying to get a reaction out of her, he exhaled. Namine responded by her arms tensing around his neck. He chuckled.

"I love you," he muttered, his lips almost touching her ear. He felt Namine give an involuntary shiver and he backed off. She laughed happily and outright tackled him to the ground. He chuckled softly and stared up at her face. Namine smiled and kissed his nose.

"I love you too," she said. Roxas grinned and sat up on his elbows to catch Namine's lips again, wrapping an arm around her waist. A moment later, Namine got off of him, but wrapped her arms around his neck again, instead, leaning her head on his shoulder. Roxas put his arm back on her waist, reading the action. She wanted him to **hold** her.

Well, Roxas happily complied.


End file.
